In the third quarter of this year, small and midsize enterprises' exports totaled $30.5 billion (about 43 trillion won), up 11.6% from a year earlier. It was the highest figure on record for a third quarter. Cumulative exports through September this year reached $87.1 billion (about 125 trillion won), also a record high.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) on the 26th announced "Third-quarter 2025 SME export trends," which included these details.
SME exports in the third quarter this year showed mixed monthly trends. Exports in July rose 8.3% from a year earlier, but in August they fell 2.1%. In September, buoyed by strong exports of key items such as cosmetics and automobiles and an increase in working days, exports surged 30%, rebounding sharply.
For the third quarter overall, exports increased for nine of the top 10 SME export items. Automobiles ($2.62 billion) jumped 80% year over year on the back of rising recognition of the quality of Korean used cars. Cosmetics ($2.21 billion), a representative SME export item, also rose 28%, marking the best quarterly performance on record.
Cosmetics achieved an all-time quarterly export high ($490 million) in the U.S. market, and Poland recorded $50 million, up 69%. Exports expanded in Europe and the Middle East. On a cumulative basis for Jan.–Sep. this year, cosmetics were exported to 203 countries, the most on record, and the number of exporting SMEs reached 8,922 companies, a record high.
By country, China ($4.75 billion) increased 12.7%. The United States ($4.64 billion), despite reciprocal tariff measures implemented from August, saw double-digit growth in cosmetics and power equipment, driving overall export gains. Even tariff-targeted items—steel, aluminum, and auto parts—rose 3.6%, 21.6%, and 11.0%, respectively.
Exports to Mexico totaled $700 million, with auto parts exports increasing by about 13%, lifting overall exports.
Online exports also remained strong. In the third quarter, SME online exports reached $300 million, the second-highest on record, and $810 million for Jan.–Sep., marking the best performance ever. While the United States and Japan fell 15.7% and 27.6%, respectively, exports rose sharply in major European countries such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Lee Sun-bae, director general for Global Growth Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "Recently, 'K-beauty' is showing a marked expansion in emerging markets beyond the United States, such as Poland and the UAE," adding, "We will spread the success of 'K-beauty' to other promising consumer goods."